(DES MOINES) - Gov. Branstad is ordering all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 15, 2012 to honor Pfc. Brandon Buttry, 19, of Shenandoah, who died Nov. 5 while serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army.

Pfc. Buttry's funeral will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Shenandoah. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will be in attendance to represent the administration.

The governor's directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. H.R. 692, signed in 2007, requires federal government agencies in the state to comply with the governor's executive order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces.

Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Illinois State Police, Local Law Enforcement to Deploy on Saturday

SPRINGFIELD - November 9, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced 54 law enforcement officers will be deployed to New Jersey on Saturday to help local law enforcement agencies deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and this week's Nor'easter. The group includes 29 officers from the Illinois State Police (ISP) and 25 officers from law enforcement agencies in Central Illinois.

"I'm proud of Illinois' first responders who are eager and willing to help East Coast residents devastated by Hurricane Sandy," Governor Quinn said. "This will be a long recovery and we will continue to provide assistance to help our neighbors recover."

The officers will support recovery and public safety operations throughout New Jersey during their eight-day deployment.

The team will report to IEMA's headquarters in Springfield Saturday morning to receive event identification, mission and safety briefings and mobilization assistance. This process ensures the accountability and readiness of personnel and assets before departure.

Saturday's deployment will bring the number of Illinois responders sent to the East Coast to assist with hurricane response and recovery to 76. That includes fourteen emergency managers who were deployed to New York City on Nov. 1 to help with 24/7 operations in the city's emergency operations center and eight members of an Incident Management Team that left Illinois on Nov. 5. Both teams were deployed for two weeks.

All of the deployments were in response to requests from affected states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

IEMA, the Illinois National Guard and other Illinois public safety agencies are standing by, ready to provide assistance in response to further EMAC requests.

When was the last time you displayed the American flag? The Exchange Club of the Quad Cities honored six recipients of the Proudly We Hail Award at a recognition dinner at The Windmill Restaurant in East Moline on November 1. These awards are given to selected individuals and businesses for their efforts and patriotism in displaying our nation's flag.

This year's individual recipients are: Dennis and Mary Gottwalt, Hampton, IL; Troy and Dawn Halverson, Moline, IL; Larry and Jane Hipple, East Moline, IL; Kim and Jean Pauley, East Moline, IL; and Simon Sierra and Carol Near, East Moline IL. Miltos Diakogeorgiou and Jose Zepeda, owners of The Windmill Restaurant in East Moline, IL accepted the business award for 2012.

If you would like to be considered for the 2013 Proudly We Hail Awards or would like to suggest a neighbor or friend, please call 797-5705.

The honorees received a special plaque to commemorate the occasion.

Quote from Exchange Club of the Quad Cities President Bob Dixon The work and time these citizens freely give to maintain their flags symbolizes their commitment to America and shows a deep respect for the flag and honors all Americans.

Background

The National Exchange Club, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is an all-volunteer, national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy new friendships. Exchange has over 21,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Exchange Club mission is to work together to make our communities better places to live through child abuse prevention, community service, service to youth, and promotion of Americanism.

The Exchange Club of Quad Cities is a local chapter of the national organization. The club meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at The Windmill Restaurant in East Moline, Illinois. Social time begins at 6:00 PM with dinner following at 6:30 PM. Guests are always welcome to attend any meeting. For membership information, call Bob Dixon at 797-5705.

Exchange Proudly We Hail 2012
Back row: Jose Zepeda and Miltos Diakogeorgiou.  Front row: Jane and Larry Hipple

Will Assist in New York City Emergency Operations Center

SPRINGFIELD - November 1, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the deployment of 13 local emergency managers and two Illinois Emergency Management Agency's (IEMA) employees to New York City to help emergency management officials coordinate recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The responders will assist with operations and logistics in the city's emergency operations center. The duration of the deployment is two weeks, with responders set to return to Illinois on Nov. 16.

"Hurricane Sandy left behind unbelievable devastation affecting millions of people along the East Coast," Governor Quinn said. "This recovery will be long and difficult, and the impacted communities will need help. Illinois stands ready to provide any assistance we can, like the dedicated emergency responders who are headed to New York today."

The responders, from across the state, reported to the state's Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) operation at the IEMA headquarters in Springfield this morning to receive event identification, mission and safety briefings and mobilization assistance. This process ensures the accountability and readiness of personnel and assets before departure.

This deployment is the first from Illinois in response to Hurricane Sandy-related requests submitted through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation's state-to-state mutual aid system.  EMAC coordinates the assistance needs of states affected by disasters with available resources from unaffected states to support response and recovery efforts. IEMA, the Illinois National Guard and other Illinois public safety agencies are standing by, ready to provide assistance in response to further EMAC requests.

Illinois has deployed assets to other states on several occasions, most notably following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when more than 2,500 first responders and other personnel from Illinois were sent to the Gulf Coast.

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